February 1, 2016 Dear Needham Families: After an extensive and thoughtful search process, I am happy to announce that Needham High School Assistant Principal Aaron Sicotte has enthusiastically accepted my offer to become the next principal at Needham High School beginning July 1st. Mr. Sicotte is humbled by the appointment and excited to work with a talented staff to lead the high school community. He is eager to work with students, staff, and parents to nurture a tradition of academic excellence in a school environment that values innovation, social and emotional wellness, diversity, and achievement for all learners. Mr. Sicotte earned his BA in English at Union College where he also subsequently received his MA in Teaching. Mr. Sicotte continued his studies at the College of St. Rose in New York where he earned his educational leadership certification. Prior to his work as an administrator in Needham, Mr. Sicotte served as a teacher and assistant principal at Guilderland High School in New York where he also taught English, and along the way he earned the incredibly rigorous National Board Certification as an English Language Arts instructor. Before that he began his career teaching English in the Framingham (MA) Public Schools. Mr. Sicotte has strong classroom experience, and he has provided consistent building leadership both in Needham and at Guilderland High School. Mr. Sicotte was one of six candidates interviewed for the principal’s position out of 23 original applicants. He became one of two finalists, both of whom subsequently met with teachers, students, administrators, and parents as part of the lengthy interview process. Those members of the Needham Public Schools and Needham community who interacted with Mr. Sicotte provided exceptionally consistent and strong feedback in their oral and written responses when asked about his candidacy and readiness for this important role. A “site visit” to Needham High School by members of the interview team was quite impressive. Students, parents, and staff were excited about his leadership potential, and they described his incredible ability to connect with students and their families in a way that is caring and sets high expectations for their learning and growth. Staff praised Mr. Sicotte for his organizational ability, problem solving, energy, and capacity to build strong and positive relationships between and among staff, students, and parents. One of his colleagues stated, “Aaron has demonstrated strong leadership, a knack for balancing demands, and a sense of humor.” Another teacher observed: “I’ve always felt that Aaron was being straight up and honest with me—he tells the truth and can have a difficult conversation.” Throughout the process it was abundantly clear that Mr. Sicotte has developed warm and nurturing relationships with students. Additional reference checking and a review of his portfolio demonstrated that Mr. Sicotte works collaboratively with teachers, encourages a high degree of ownership in student learning and achievement, and he has exceptional expectations for himself. It is equally clear that Mr. Sicotte’s values are consistent with the Needham Public Schools core values of Scholarship, Community, Citizenship, and Personal Growth. Mr. Sicotte is very excited to lead Needham High School and believes he will continue to learn a great deal from Needham’s teachers, students, parents, and administrators who daily demonstrate a commitment to their learning and to one another. Many, many thanks to those staff and community members who attended afternoon and evening forums, provided written feedback, and participated in this important process. Special thanks to staff members, parents, and students who were on the interview team: Needham High School students Zerinee Depina, Sonia Raja, and Tim Andre; school staff Jill Krajewski, Patrick Gallagher, Linda Burke, Jimmy Odierna, Johnny Cole, and Tom Denton: Parents Jennifer Sexton and Stu Schmill; School administrators Mary Lammi, Tamatha Bibbo, and Tom Campbell; and Needham Youth Services Director, Jon Mattleman. Over the coming months Mr. Sicotte will continue to attend to and focus on his current responsibilities at NHS even while he begins a transition to the position of principal. He will develop a specific transition plan that will allow him to connect with and listen to as many members of the school community as possible so that he can build on his understanding of the needs and aspirations of students, faculty, and parents. Please join me in congratulating Aaron Sicotte in his new role at Needham High School. Sincerely, Daniel E. Gutekanst, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools